Leap Day

It's official.

The intent was to mail off at least one thing, every operational day during the 29 day month.
For the most part I victimized the sister. *laughing*
She's put up with being the recipient of a few odd-ball notes/letters.
I can honestly say that my handwriting did NOT improve during the past 29 days. It's started off awful and remained awful. It's a darn good thing she loves me without condition!

But I'm on my last evening. And I lamented that in pen last night.

I'm pretty sure I'm not done lamenting that. If some lamenting is good, more lamenting is better?

:-/

So what has the experience brought?

• It encouraged me to use up those cards I put together a couple years ago and never bothered to send out?
• It sent me into card shops that I hadn't stopped into for eons?
• I had an adventure or two during the quest for stationery which doesn't exist in this bitty town......anywhere.
• I created a few cards, did some recycled paper weaving and bought stamps all by myself! (this is what I have he-who-loves-to-go-on-errands for!)
• It filled the sister's mailbox at a time when sitting down in a quiet place to read a non-sense bit of writing was probably a really good thing.
• It forced me into a new habit of retiring a bit earlier to actually DO the letter writing.
• It reminded my brain that my hand really IS slower than it is and to bring it down a notch or twenty so the hand could keep up.
• I got refreshers on spelling--even had to locate the dictionary at one point.
• I FOUND the dictionary! That was an adventure in and of itself.
• It gave me an excuse to color and use scissors and glue. (yeah....like I need an excuse.LOL)
• It gave me a new route to work--(k....so I had to turn around a time or two cuz I landed at work with the letter still on the front seat of the car!)
• ......ummmm......it made me late to work on an occasion or two?
• It also gave me a sense of connection with the sister that I simply don't get in email or text. WHY that is......dunno. I just know it's true. Maybe it's the time invested. Maybe it was the written word, or the quest for making something different to send on WITH the lousy handwriting. Or maybe it was the history I have with letter writing that I'd gotten away from, slowly but surely thanks to technology and laziness......dunno......

In any case--tonight will be the last day of the adventure. It's the 29th. Leap day....the last day of February. And I'll send out the letter tomorrow morning.
Just like I've come to do day in day out for the past 29.

.

.

.

Gee.

I wonder what I'll end up doing tomorrow evening when it's 'time'?

Switchback in Ice

Reading for the Day

Long after the kind word is spoken, the encouragement remains. Long after the good deed is done, the goodness lingers on.

Long after the moment passes, the joy continues. Long after the lesson is learned, wisdom keeps growing.

What you do in this moment brings value not only to this moment. Much of the value you create now can stay with you always.

This is your chance to make it count, now and long after.

Bit o' White

Fairy Thought

Make Today a Healing Day

Take time for healing. Take time for what soothes your body, your mind, your soul.

Take a bath. Light a candle. Read a book. Take a walk. Get a massage. See your favorite healer, if you desire. See a movie. Buy some flowers. Drink a cup of tea.

Sometimes we talk ourselves out of doing something healing for ourselves. We're too busy, too tired. But that is when we most need to take care of ourselves. Listen to your heart. What does it need? Trust what you hear.

Make today a healing day. Then take some time and make every day a healing day.

Dreamstate

Zen Place

I think I knew I could send text from the phone--but I didn't realize I could send photos...

That's kinda cool!
k.....it's rare that I forget the camera--but still... COOL! :-)

TFTD

You don't have to hold onto messengers after they've delivered the message in your life, or escorts after they've taken you where you were trying to go. You don't have to stay in a classroom after you've learned the lessons and finished that course.

Open your heart. Thank the people, places, and things that have helped create your world, shape you, form your experiences. Then pick up, pack up, and leave. Say good-bye with love and gratitude in your heart. And go on down the road.

k....

...innit interesting that 7 hours is considered 'sleep deprived'.

IF I LAID IN BED FOR 7 HOURS THEY'D BE CALLING THE MORTUARY TO REMOVE THE BODY......

Just sayin'......

:-/

k.

I am NOT a normal human being........

A creeks' sadness

Yup--Emmet and Esmerelda Eagle once again.....

Again with the three eggs!

:-)

Another Fairy Thought

Please don't say never. It sets up resistance. Challenges life. Challenges fate. And closes doors.

Never is dogmatic and judgemental. Never means limited thinking. And never usually means probably.

When we say never it is sometimes because we have prejudged a thing without experiencing it. Other times, we say never because in the past a particular experience with a place or person was unpleasant. To say never means we're expecting all similar experiences to be unpleasant. It doesn't leave room for change or new and different experiences.

Learn from the past. Trust yourself. Trust your experiences, even the ones that haven't worked for you. But please don't say never. Stay open to all the universe holds.

ABC (or is that M) Ice Cream *laughing*

Ack and OH boy.....neither of which were said...

So we were suppose to have the Bug last night.

I'm hoping we can snag her today--

Yesterday evening......notsomuch a safe adventure.
I only know this because I suggested dinner and the kidnapping at an earlier time than we'd set.....cuz the weather was making me nervous. Bit of snow and freezing rain and more snow the evening before and into the morning meant we had school delays Friday morning. It also meant we had blowing snow during the day. It also meant in open farmland we had stuff blowing over the highway. I know the lay of the land between here and there fairly well--I travel it often enough. Earlier was smarter.

Didn't matter. We got on the road and only got a couple miles in when I started repeating "I'm not liking this......" And THEN we hit the icy patch and the wind knocked us sideways....

You know that split second that seems like forever?

The one where you're sizing up how close to the gravel shoulder you are, how much of the rearend of the Jeep is catching up to the front of the Jeep, how close the stupid people driving like 4 wheel drive means tank track grips on the terrain are to you, how deep the ditch is and how fast you're actually going all seem to blur together while you're saying something you wouldn't wanna repeat in front of your grandmother if you had one?!

Yeah.........HAD one of those moments!!

O
M
G

(trust me--that's NOT what I said in the Jeep........)

And trust me--turned around and went BACK to the house where I promptly called the girl to let her know.....not happening!

Bizarre, she says....Roads are clear here.

Yeah, well--her flight got rescheduled to today FOR a reason!
And notsomuch clear here last evening.

O
M
G

And on the return trip--we passed the same treacherous spot and noted a white pickup in the field--via the ditch and through the fence.

I'd say it was good driving on the drivers part. Yeah....notsomuch. The driver would say it was catching the dry pavement at the right time and being lucky that no rolling over of the Jeep happened.
Divine intervention. He calls that 'lucky'. Whichever--I'm good with it. And I'm good with listening to that screaming in my head that said "NO!!"

Putting a few hours of dark into that and 'hoping' that it was 'just that spot' to retrieve a small child cuz it's what I wanted..... NO was the right answer to act on.

Sun's up. New day.
Thinking we can give it a few hours and give it go once traffic and sun does it's thing.

Nana has new noisy toys!!!!

k.....new to her.

<-- mighta had to check out the slide whistle a few times to make sure it worked correctly.....

:-/

Fairy Reminder

Believing in life means it's okay to let go. We can trust where we've been. We trust where we're going. And we're right where we need to be now. Believe in life.

Yeah......hazard of living with Mel

It's catching.

It's the old 'if some is good MORE is better' deal.

OH boy!! :-/

Fairy Diddy

Rest when you're tired. Take a break when life stales. Take time to recharge your battery.

Energy isn't something you have-- it's something you are. To give and give, to put out without taking in, depletes your battery. It drains you, runs you down. Running on a low battery is no longer necessary, because now we know how to live differently.

Taking time to rest, renew, and refresh yourself isn't wasted time. Recharge. Choose what energizes you. Nature. A song. The voice of a friend. A nap. A hot bath. A cup of tea. A favorite program. A movie that makes you laugh or cry. A walk. A run. A prayer. A poem. A book that speaks to your soul.

Actions that emerge from an energized source are easier, go further, accomplish more.

Thadda way

Ummm.......Fairy Stuff

What are you feeling deep down inside? Under the anger. Under the rage. Under the numb I don't care, it doesn't matter. Are you really feeling scared? Hurt? Abandoned? Go more deeply into yourself and your emotions than you have ever gone before. The way to joy, the way to the heart is tender, soft, gentle, and honest. The way to the heart is to be vulnerable.

You don't have to be so brave. You don't have to be so strong. You don't always have to walk away with your head held high saying, I can handle this. Ive been through worse before.

Become angry if you must. Feel your rage if it's there. Go numb once in a while, if you must. Then take a chance, and go a little deeper. Go way down deep inside. See what's there. Take a look. Risk being vulnerable.

Love yourself and all your emotions. Be as honest with yourself as you can be. Say how you really feel.

Crappy moment and chicken**** solutions

So she was having a crappy day following a sleepless night.....and we were joking about exactly WHAT I was willing to give up for a mere 40 days--and the doctor called.

She couldn't breathe but agreed to let me call her.

She was alone when the call came.

I didn't know that........

PET scan results show nodes (plural--) in her lungs (unknown if that's one lung or both). The physicians will compare notes and decide what to do next.

That's as much as she could give me.

The rest was just about tears and fears.

The doctor had already given her plan B should the PET scan show additional growths. She'd forgotten that. Chemotherapy and radiation. That'll delay any surgery. They'll want to stop the spreading to other organs--if it's not already there.

They gave the information on the phone to a woman who can barely talk given the chunks taken from her tongue for the biopsies.

It gives me a new-found appreciation for the protocol to bring the patient in to the office to go over the results. I hated they'd never just tell me on the phone. And now I hate that they told her on the phone.

The hubby came home and she was able to talk to him. She hadn't been willing to call him--cuz she didn't want to have to tell him. She did.

They're messy.

No one wanted the results to be what they are.

We don't always get what we want.

She's been a care taker to so many..........the supportive person to walk through some really horrendous times when people around her were struggling and needing someone to just BE there for them. She was there. And they'll be there for her. They already are.

G-d's taken really good care of her that way. And I'm grateful for that.

She's at church right now--making her pledge to G-d. She's giving up telling people "I'm okay"--she'll tell them the truth at that moment in time. No more lying about being 'okay' for 40 days.
I'll help her with that.

She, on the other hand, will be helping me to not 'auto-condiment' with salt up the whazoo.

Yeah.....I have a really badddddddddd habit of doing that.

Suddenly that feels like a chicken**** 'giving up' for those 40 days.

I told her that.

She then mentioned 'popcorn'.

Yeah.......she's the one with all the 'nice genes'.

I might change my mind about that one at some point if she keeps this up....

40 days

It's Ash Wednesday.

I know this because the sister is horribly Catholic. Not a bad thing--just sayin'......

Which made yesterday Shrove Tuesday (heck if I know.....I just went with it.....)

So we were trying to help her come up with her 'giving it up for Lent' thing....I suggested she surrender 'tru moooooo'.

There's a problem of her own making--tell the hubby it's good and thank him for providing something different to drink on this liquid/soft diet she's had to maintain and guess what!! You're gonna keep getting it!

And does she really LIKE it? Ummmm.....notsomuch! Not as bad as ensure with extra protein, but a close second apparently.
And does she keep getting it cuz he's of the belief that she liked it? Yup.
Troubles of her own making.
I gave her the out a week or so ago--she didn't take it. But she did volunteer to save me some for my upcoming visit. He'd purchased 12 bottles. No worries--they don't expire until mid June! Yeah......not so much 'tru' mooooooo. LOLOL FAKE mooooo at best!

I suggested giving it up for Lent.
She told me she was giving up Cancer for Lent.

Well, there's a good plan that I could endorse........until she told me that tru mooooo and cancer were attached to selfish, impure motives. (she's stealing my terms, dangitall!!)

And my answer to that?

"Yeah? SO?!"

*laughing*

Being the one who got all the 'nice genes', she was going to pray about it and let me know today what she's giving up. And she told me we could do it together--so I could pray about it and let her know today.

Hold on...... I am not Catholic.
I'm not even of the Christian persuasion.
Why do *I* need to give up something for Lent?

Because YOU are?!

"Because you love me and you told me I don't have to do things alone."

Did I mention the one who got all the 'nice genes' is a tad manipulative?

It's only for 40 days she tells me.

ONLY?!?

Riiigggghhhhhhttttttttt.

Fairy Reading

It's Okay to Not Know

Sometimes we don't know what we want, what's next, or what we think our lives will look like down the road. That's okay. If the answer is I don't know, then say it. Say it clearly. And be at peace with not knowing.

Sometimes the reason we don't know is that what's coming is going to be very different from anything we've experienced before. Even if we knew, we couldn't relate to it because it's that new and that different.

Sometimes the reason we don't know is that it would be too difficult, too confusing for us right now. It would take us out of the present moment, cause us to worry and fuss about how we could control it or what we have to do to make it happen. Knowing would make us afraid. Put us on overload. Take us away from now.

Sometimes our souls know, but it's just not time for our conscious mind to know yet. Sometimes knowing would take us out of the very experience we need to go through to discover the answer we're looking for. And sometimes the process of learning to trust, the process of going through an experience and coming to trust that we will ultimately discover our own truth, is more important than knowing.

The process of moving from what we don't know to what we are to learn is a process that can be trusted. It's how we grow and change. It's okay to not know. It's okay to let ourselves move into knowing. The lesson is trusting that we'll know when it's time.

On the wire

Fairy Dust

Happiness is not something you can go out and get. Real happiness does not have to depend on creating a certain set of circumstances.

Happiness is a way you can choose to be. And you can simply choose it at any time, in any circumstance.

Keeper.....

"There are two kinds of people:


those who say to God, "Thy Will be done, "

and those to whom God says, "All right then, have it your way."

--CS Lewis 1898-1963

And there were pretties...

TFTD

Truth has little need of elaborate explanation. The fewer words you can use, the more meaning they have.

Speak what you know to be true. And there will be no need to hide your thoughts behind your words.

Words have little meaning if there is no conviction to support them. When your words come directly from who you most sincerely are, they carry with them great power.

Do not make the mistake of attempting to deceive others with what you say. For once your words are found to be insincere, you will have great difficulty being taken seriously again.

Words are easy to say. Yet for those words to have any meaning or power, they must closely match the reality of your actions and your being.

Speak clearly, truthfully, with respect and humility. From the truth of who you are, comes the best of what you say.

Done! I think.. Well.....sorta.....

There's something to be said about avoiding work stuff.

What's to be said is "I didn't get the work stuff that I was gonna do......done....".

Instead, I played with beads.
And wrote letters.

And did laundry.

And put together a card......or two......

And I put away the stupid dishes.

Yeahyeah.....

Hows come when I look at the dishes and tell 'em to GET BACK IN THAT CUPBOARD RIGHT NOW!!!!!!.......they don't listen....

:-/

Stuff!

Okay--I'm just going to say this......

There is NO stationery to be found in this bitty town.

NONE.

NADA.

Zilch.

Zip.

Not a blessed box of it anywhere.

Heck--I drove to the next town and WalMart doesn't even bother!

I've resorted to drafting paper and colouring every other line. LOL

While that's great fun--it's not exactly 'cute'!

So--that's just a fine example of what's TRUE today.
People don't hand write letters.
They might scribble a note in a card.....but not so much letter writing!

That's okay though!! I'm on the downhill slide of the every day writing gig. I've got some cards I've put together and some I snagged at the store a few weeks ago.

And IF I feel like it, I'll actually follow through and write a letter from using words I've clipped from a magazine. LOL Yes, I know--funky, but true!

And the sister's getting spoilt and knows it.

Does she expect letters in March?!

OH goodgriefIhopenot cuz I'll BE there! LOL

I guess I could set himself up to send stuff.

*laughing*
I actually caught him cleaning out his pretty pen this past week.
How funny is that?!

Right.

Laundry.

Feed the birdies.

Put dishes away......

And THEN maybe write a letter!

Eeeeeeshhhhh......there's always 'stuff'!

Frostcicle

TFTD

If you think you already know all the answers, you’re not likely to learn much of anything new. Yet when you have the humility to admit you don’t know something, there is a world of knowledge to be gained.

If the only point of view you ever consider is your own, you’ll be continually held back by a narrow, limited, stagnant perspective. Yet when you have the humility to consider the opinions of others, your eyes will be opened to a world of new opportunities.

When you put all your thoughts and energy into your own concerns, the world will seem a cold and heartless place to you. Yet when you have the humility to give of yourself to others, life becomes infinitely more warm, joyful and fulfilling.

Scrambling for Shore

Reading for the Day

When things around you seem too noisy, hectic and out of control, be extra calm, peaceful and patient. If the people in your life seem too greedy and selfish, that’s the time to be extra loving, giving and sincerely compassionate.

When the world seems a bit too confused and aimless, be extra focused and purposeful. For the world outside will soon reflect back to you the energy you give it.

If you don’t like what you see, you have the opportunity to change it by changing the way you are. If there is darkness all around you, that’s an opportunity for you to shine your own special light.

Even a small beacon in the darkness will shine for a long, long way. Choose to be the difference that makes a real difference, and your efforts will bear abundant fruit.

When things around you seem to be at their worst, that’s when you can accomplish the most by being your best. That’s when you can truly make a valuable, positive difference.

When trouble and confusion surround you, see the situation as the opportunity that it is. Shine your positive light in the face of negativity, and you will change your world.

O M ******* G!!!!!!!

Riggggghhhhhttttttt......

It all went upside down on Monday--since then it's been 7am arrivals to the work place and dragging my arse home at 9pm.

I did get out of there at 5:30 tonight.

However, I'm just closing the worksite program after doing two excel spreadsheets with data for performance measure on contracts AND data mining for that PLUS the two performance evaluations that are due in the next week and a half.

I still have the school contract WITH performance measures to write AND the two performance evaluations.

O

M

G

I'm brain dead.

And I'm TIRED.

Gee........I wonder why that is.....

:-/

I think I deserve a treat.

Yeah.

YEAH!

I deserve a treat, dangit.

Popcorn!

YEAH!! I deserve popcorn!!!!

Only....he's watching Lord of the Rings whatever for the umpteenth time and I don't know how to run the VCR.

IF I knew how to run the VCR I'd push a button and give him my best pathetic look......

Oh wait...

I know how to stand in front of television sets!!!!!!

<-- going to stand now :-D

Iron through Iron

Today's Thought

Whatever you are filled with on the inside will surely come to exist on the outside. The reality of your life is built upon the quality of your innermost thoughts and feelings in each moment.

The thoughts that make the most difference are not the occasional grand thoughts. Rather, they are those persistent thoughts you have over and over again until they truly become a part of your reality.

No matter what your age, financial resources, ethnic background, level of physical health, or past history may be, you can always think the thoughts you choose to think. So what do you choose to think as each moment goes by?

Let yourself be filled on the inside with good and positive and valuable thoughts. What is consistently on the inside cannot help but come out. Thinking alone does not make it so. Yet what you think will reliably direct precisely which way you go.

RAWWRRRRR

WHAT the **** is that?!

Seriously.

They expect me to reproduce that in the little box they've provided?

They expect me to actually decipher that?

<-- wears those funny computery glasses so things focus ...... on occasion, if I remember.....NOT that I need 'em........

RAWRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

O
M
G

Now the good news is I turned OFF the word ver deal a bit ago cuz someone asked if I would. It matters to me that they were able to post here--so I did.

Nothing horrid has happened since...........'cept I did drop my necklace into the sink which was an adventure all of its own.... Somehow I don't think the two were inter-related.

I could be wrong.......

O
M
G

I'm sure it'll be okay and I'll adjust to the double word ver, blur it up mix it up and prove your not a bot deal.

At some point.....

But for today........they took the cute little word ver and replaced it with...

.....ick.

I WANT THE CUTE LITTLE WORD VER BACK.

Ya know......the one I can actually READ.

*sigh*

Fairy Reading for Today

If you want to be strong, be patient, thoughtful and understanding. Anyone can be rude, but it takes real strength to be kind and polite.

If you want to be strong, be persistent. Enduring strength does not come in an instant, but is steadily built over time.

If you want to be strong, get in the habit of taking action. The strongest people are those who act while others only talk or wish.

If you want to be strong, be humble. Put your focus on doing, rather than worrying about getting credit.

If you want to be strong, be joyful. When you enjoy what you’re doing, you are far more effective.

If you want to be strong, be yourself. The real strength you have is in the authentic person you are.

Wet Feet Walk

Today's Reading

When faced with a decision, your thoughts will take you only so far. After reaching that point, let wisdom guide you.

Wisdom is what you know without the slightest bit of doubt or hesitation. When you act based on wisdom, you act with real confidence and true purpose.

Wisdom is more than merely the memory of a certain set of facts, conditions or circumstances. Wisdom is an awareness of what is, combined with a love of life, of light, of truth.

With Great Love........

There is more hunger for love and appreciation in the world today than for bread.
Mother Teresa

Have you been fed today?

Has anyone told you today that you are loved?

Has anyone made you feel appreciated and let you know how special you are?

Has anyone assured you that you are exactly who you need to be?
And in simply doing what you love to do, you are doing enough?

Has anyone reminded you that you didn’t come here to prove anything?
You just came to be you. Just you because being you is enough?
You are one of a kind, a true original….. a masterpiece of incomparable value
and without you the world would be incomplete…
Like a puzzle missing a crucial piece
And you are the only being in the universe that can fill that final space.

Has anyone told you that the regrets of yesterday belong to yesterday?
And that right now in this one profound moment in time you are perfect…
As perfect as you were created to be.
Has anyone taken the time to let you know that you are infinitely smarter than you give yourself credit for being?
And a thousand times more capable of achieving your dreams than you believe yourself to be.

Has anyone told you that you should never, ever doubt your own worth?
Because even in those moments when you feel it the least you are still wonderfully made.
And there is within every single cell of your being enough power to light the world.
God placed it there the day you were born and every loving thought you think
radiates forward, brightening the world and making it a better place to be.

That’s how powerful you are.

That’s how loving you are.

So now I ask again…..have you been fed today?

Has anyone told you that you are truly loved?

If not, then won’t you please let me be the one?

You are loved.......

Shinings

Reminder to self--

FIS (Descutner/Thelen 1991) test.

(cuz if I put it here I won't lose it and I can come back to it)

*laughing.....*

Yeah.....even I don't buy that I won't 'lose it' here. LOL

1 not at all characteristic of me
2 slightly characteristic of me
3 moderately characteristic of me
4 very characteristic of me
5 extremely characteristic of me

Part A Instructions: Imagine you are in a close/dating relationship. Respond to the following statements as you would if you were in that close relationship. Rate how characteristic each statement is of you on a scale of 1 to 5 as described below.

1. I would feel uncomfortable telling () about things in the past that I have felt ashamed of.

2. I would feel uneasy talking with () about something that has hurt me deeply.

3. I would feel comfortable expressing my true feelings to ().

4. If () were upset I would sometimes be afraid of showing that I care.

5. I might be afraid to confide my innermost feelings to ().

6. I would feel at ease telling () that I care about him/her.

7. I would have a feeling of complete togetherness with ().

8. I would be comfortable discussing significant problems with ().

9. A part of me would be afraid to make a long-term commitment to ().

10. I would feel comfortable telling my experiences, even sad ones, to ().

11. I would probably feel nervous showing () strong feelings of affection.

12. I would find it difficult being open with () about my personal thoughts.

13. I would feel uneasy with () depending on me for emotional support.

14. I would not be afraid to share with () what I dislike about myself.

15. I would be afraid to take the risk of being hurt in order to establish a closer relationship with ().

16. I would feel comfortable keeping very personal information to myself.

17. I would not be nervous about being spontaneous with ().

18. I would feel comfortable telling () things that I do not tell other people.

19. I would feel comfortable trusting () with my deepest thoughts and feelings.

20. I would sometimes feel uneasy if () told me about very personal matters.

21. I would be comfortable revealing to () what I feel are my shortcomings and handicaps.

22. I would be comfortable with having a close emotional tie between us.

23. I would be afraid of sharing my private thoughts with ().

24. I would be afraid that I might not always feel close to ().

25. I would be comfortable telling () what my needs are.

26. I would be afraid that () would be more invested in the relationship than I would be.

27. I would feel comfortable about having open and honest communication with ().
28. I would sometimes feel uncomfortable listening to ()'s personal problems.
29. I would feel at ease to completely be myself around ().

30. I would feel relaxed being together and talking about our personal goals.

Part B Instructions: Respond to the following statements as they apply to your past relationships. Rate how characteristic each statement is of you on a scale of 1 to 5 as described in the instructions for Part A.

31. I have shied away from opportunities to be close to someone.
32. I have held back my feelings in previous relationships.
33. There are people who think that I am afraid to get close to them.
34. There are people who think that I am not an easy person to get to know.
35. I have done things in previous relationships to keep me from developing closeness.

Quilt Barn #42

Fairy Reminder

Have you been treated rudely, or been the victim of greedy manipulation? Be generous to someone and see how quickly you get beyond that bitter, negative mind-set.

Want to make this a really great day? Then spend it taking advantage of opportunities to give of yourself to others.

You don’t need to have a lot of money or spare time or expertise in order to be generous. There are opportunities for sincere generosity in every situation, all day long.

With an attitude of generosity, the experience of life will rise to a higher level of richness and beauty. Each moment lived with generosity will be a moment lived with real and lasting joy.

Give of yourself. And be amazed at how very much real value you receive.

#14

Jammies for me.

And a place under quilts with a pen in hand and paper on the lap desk.

Somehow it's nicer away from the noise and hype of the day, when I can just snuggle in the warmth of the blankies and scribe whatever nonsense I decide.

The sister has enjoyed the ramblings. Somehow it's fitting the month has been dedicated to her in the weird sort of way that I've concocted it. She's found great joy in retrieving the sent letters from her mailbox, daily.

That's a good thing. Small joys, great joys......good things.

Especially given the circumstances.

Tomorrow she goes to the basement in UCLA's hospital and gets that 'messed up and forgot to talk to each other--silly doctors!' PET scan that's been too long in appearing.

We'll find out just how centralized the cancer really is. And moving forward in a definitive way will happen.

I'll hope. But mostly, I'll just deal with whatever gets handed to us.

Each day is a new day. She's been to Disney twice in the past ten days--hubby thought she needed the happiness she finds there just watching the joy of others and getting in a bit of play herself. He's right. You get the grim details of surgery--robbing one piece of your body to patch together another that's about to be cut up.....not fun details to try to wrap your head around.

Anything that brings joy and happy moments is welcomed, I'm sure.

So.....goofy letter writing will happen!

I've had great fun altering cards and writing silliness.

Tonight, it's a love letter......I've decided.

One can never get too many love letters!

And tomorrow is Valentine's Day.

No doubt she's already received some of the host of Valentines sent from the frozen tundra.

This one will be different.

It'll probably make her cry--may be that it makes me cry, writing it.

But letting someone know they're loved, that they make a difference, that they're special and valued and adored--I think we need more of that. Who doesn't need to hear that?

Right.

Jammies! Pen. Paper.....

Mushy stuff! LOL

GO!!!!!!

k.....

I like Cuban rice and beans.

I like red beans and rice.

I like black beans and rice.

I do NOT like Caribbean rice with beans.

*gak!*

Note to self:

NEVER AGAIN.

Seriously.......why would ya put cinnamon in it?

Why?

I know why........to gross me out!

<-- is now having coffee to get rid of that gakky taste

*shudder*

k....maybe I'll have TWO cups of coffee, just to be sure! :-)

AH HA!! I know why they put cinnamon in it!

To increase coffee sales!

Gee they're smart!

A visit with the Bug

<-- irritated cat
















<-- lover of hot chocolate (k... more like lover of marshmallows--cuz once those are gone DONE!!)

<-- 911 material

But she has DASH...and he goes round the track, slips off onto a zip track, whizzes to the next piece of rail.........and 'round and 'round he goes!!!

I WANT ONE!!!!!!

'I will share with you, Nana.'

....k...... That was too sweet.
No worries thought-- it was worth leaving it with her just to irritate the cat. *snickering*

Today's Reminder from the Reading Fairy

You cannot possibly get more from life than what you put into it.

You can be very clever and think up all sorts of ways to cheat. What you end up doing, though, is cheating yourself most of all.

If you run or hide from the challenges, life’s greatest rewards will never find you. When you avoid the difficulties, you also miss out on the fulfillment.

For it is in making a difference that you make a life. It is by working through the challenges that you build real and meaningful value.

The chorus

Seriously awesome moment yesterday when I stood on the bank and heard the ice sing.

And if that's not enough of a description--I found a recording and when I played it, himself thought it was from my cellphone.

Dangit that I didn't think to do that yesterday!

RAWRRRR!!!

Ice Song

Reading from the Reading Fairy

Ego will entice you with the promise of pleasure but will always end up robbing you of real joy. Ego gives you only a hollow image that can all too easily be shattered into nothing.

The more you tune out the noisy ranting of your ego, the more you’ll touch the deep and awesome value of your true self. The more completely you leave your ego behind, the more power your efforts will have.

Respond with your heart.

T-minus ten seconds and counting......

Reading for the Day

Peace enables you to fully accept and make use of the limitless abundance that surrounds you. Peace saves you from all the wasted time and effort of resentment, judgment, worry and doubt.

What has arrived in your world is already here, and you are here to fully experience it. See if you can be genuinely and unreservedly thankful, for that thankfulness draws you into the powerful state of peacefulness.

Yes, some of what comes your way is uncomfortable, inconvenient and even painful. Be thankful nonetheless, and ease the burden of your burdens.

Be thankful, and truly at peace, with what is. And you put yourself in control of what can be.

Ohhhhhhhh dear.......

*clearing head*

Wow....that's one unhappy mom!

It would seem the bug has found the terrible twos.

Or so says her mom......who spent 20 minutes on the phone with me explaining to me the aftermath of being the working mom who had to go out of state for a week.....And returned to a 2 year old who doesn't seem to respond to her.

So much so that she took the 2 year old out of the restaurant without a coat to put her in the car last evening.......without getting dinner.

So much that she put her in a time-out and took one herself after she was called a 'stupid girl'.

And did I get a taste of the sassu-ness as the bug yelled at her mother for a good two minutes despite the girl's request for her to please wait because she was on the phone? Uh huh.... Whoa....Yup--definitely mad at the mom. Probably for being deserted for a week. Well, couple that with the "She was good as gold the whole time you were gone"......and was rewarded (by the other parental unit) for her goodness with a daily treat/toy of some sort. Yup--oh BOY she's mad!

And does the girl have to turn around and go again? Uh huh. Back for two weeks and then it's off to Manilla for ten days.......

Did you notice it turned quiet, mom? That's because she's crashed out. And while she's crashed out, I'm clearing out the time-out space.....cuz she's going to need it tomorrow MULTIPLE times if she thinks she's calling ME a 'stupid girl' again!

Ohhhhh......look! A MEAN MOM!

*laughing*

She is her mother's child.

Derailed Indesnow

The Determined Fairy

Think of a time when you were truly determined. Think of a time when you were willing to do whatever had to be done, in order to get the results you had decided upon.

Visualize that time, put yourself back in that circumstance, and feel, once again, the driving power of your own determination. Experience, once again, the confidence which comes with being so determined that nothing can stop you.

Now imagine what that same level of determination could do for you today. Imagine what would happen if you applied the power of determination to your current situation.

Think of all the obstacles and difficulties you could move on past. Think of all the positive, valuable goals you could reach.

Being determined, and staying determined, is hard work. And yet it is powerful, productive work that gets you where you want to go.